Tim Ellis, KUAC - Fairbanks
Tim Ellis is a reporter at KUAC in Fairbanks.
Warm air, sea-surface temperatures in February limited Arctic sea-ice growth
It’s been a relatively cool and snowy winter here in the Interior, compared with the past couple of winters. But climate experts say the Arctic has been warmer than average. They say that’s why it appears this year’s maximum Arctic sea-ice cover, measured near the end of winter, is likely to set another record for the smallest maximum on record. Listen now
Climate scientists worry NOAA cuts will hinder Alaska weather forecasting
Scientists who study Arctic climate say their research will suffer if the Trump administration goes ahead with big budget cuts reportedly under consideration for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. And they say the proposed cuts also would hinder meteorologists’ ability to forecast weather in Alaska and worldwide. Listen now
Preparations underway for Arctic Council ministerial, related events
A U.S. State Department official said planning is well under way for the big, biennial meeting of top diplomats from the eight Arctic Council member nations to be held this spring in Fairbanks. Listen now
Exercise near Deadhorse to test paratroopers’ ability to operate in cold
About 200 paratroopers from Joint Base Elemendorf-Richardson (JBER) will drop into Deadhorse Tuesday as part of a joint Army-Air Force rapid-deployment exercise that’ll include Stryker Brigade soldiers and equipment from Fort Wainwright. Listen now
Pending EPA cuts lead to new junk cleanups in villages
A network of partnerships between nonprofit organizations, government agencies and private-sector recycling companies is planning to step up efforts to clean up junk and electronic waste that’s been accumulating for decades in remote communities around Alaska. The partnerships are racing to clean up as much of the stuff as possible by 2020, when federal funding for the projects is scheduled to run out. Listen now
Army Aviation unit’s deployment reduces military role in remote civilian rescues
About 190 members of a Fort Wainwright-based aviation unit will be largely unavailable for civilian search-and-rescue for at least a year. The Alaska Aviation Task Force regularly helps find and pick up missing and injured from remote backcountry locations, but personnel in a key Army unit that’s part of the task force are deploying overseas. Listen now
State studies how to clean up 4,000-gallon fuel spill
Officials with the state Department of Environmental Conservation and a Fairbanks-based trucking company are still assessing the extent of a recent fuel spill along the Richardson Highway south of Paxson. Officials with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation said it looks like diesel from a Colville Transport tanker crash has seeped into the road bed. Listen now
Alaska Highway 75th anniversary events to include tribute to black soldiers’ key role
75 years ago, the U.S. Army began work on a road to connect the far-flung territory of Alaska to the continental United States. This week, the town at the end of that road, Delta Junction, will consider a proposal to celebrate the Alaska Highway’s 75th anniversary. Organizers of a statewide effort to commemorate the anniversary say the highway represents an important historical achievement and a breakthrough in race relations. Listen now
Tanker truck spills 4,000 gallons of diesel fuel after crash near Paxson
The driver of a diesel-fuel tanker truck lost control of his rig Monday and wrecked in a remote spot on the Richardson Highway south of Paxson, spilling some 4,000 gallons of diesel fuel. And now, officials with a Fairbanks-based trucking company and the state are trying to figure out a way to remove contaminated material from the area while allowing traffic to pass through the narrow, winding stretch of roadway. Listen now
Experts say 2016 smashed previous records for Alaska’s hottest year on record
2016 was the warmest year in Alaska since the National Weather Service began keeping records in the state more than a century ago. Two weather-service climate specialists say that’s mainly because of extraordinarily warm ocean water, which in turn helped generate above-normal precipitation – especially in the Interior. Listen now
UAF research facility device could boost use of renewable energy
Engineers at UAF’s Alaska Center for Energy and Power have invented a device that should help promote greater use of renewable-energy sources such as wind and hydropower to generate electricity in small, remote communities. Center officials say development of the ST100 is an important milestone in their effort to boost the use of renewables to help communities save money by burning less diesel fuel to generate power. Listen Now
Wind-farm developer asks court to overturn approval of GVEA Tariff
Delta Wind Farm President and CEO Mike Craft is taking the Regulatory Commission of Alaska to court. Craft is asking a judge to overturn the commission’s approval of a Golden Valley Electric Association tariff filed last summer. He claims the tariff violates new state regulations intended to help renewable-energy projects like his access the grid. Listen Now
AK: Fairbanks Four’s plight inspires musician’s latest composition
The Fairbanks Four’s release from prison last year inspired virtuoso Emerson Eads to compose a piece titled “Mass for the Oppressed.” Eads has lined up some impressive talent to perform the piece next month, and he’s arranged for proceeds from sales of the production to go to an organization that represented the four Alaska Native men in court. Listen Now
High-level U.S., Canadian military chiefs meet again to confer on Arctic training, operations
Ten high-level U.S. and Canadian commissioned and noncommissioned officers toured the Army’s Black Rapids Training Site in Delta Junction, November 15. Listen Now
This year’s winter forecast for Interior Alaska: more cold snaps, near-normal snowfall likely
Residents of the Interior will likely see more snow and a cold snap or two this winter. Listen Now
Online fundraiser nets nearly $50k for erosion control project at Delta-area park
Donors gave nearly $50,000 to an online fundraiser last month to help pay for a project to prevent the Tanana River from washing away the bank that runs along Big Delta State Historical Park near Delta Junction. Alaska State Parks will use the donations as a match for further fundraising to pay for a bank-stabilization project riverbank to prevent further erosion. Listen Now
Luxury cruises don’t signal Arctic shipping boom, expert says
The company that sent the first big luxury cruise ship through U.S. and Canadian Arctic waters is preparing the Crystal Serenity for a repeat performance in 2017. But one expert believes this year’s historic transit doesn’t mean the Arctic is likely to become a hotspot for global shipping anytime soon. Listen Now
Alaska Wildlife Troopers ask public’s help in solving 4 cases of killed moose
More than a week after they began an investigation of the killing of four moose that were left unsalvaged in three areas along the Richardson Highway south of Fairbanks last week, Alaska Wildlife Troopers are asking for the public’s help.
High winds knock out power to 33,000 Interior households
Anchorage didn't experience high winds as predicted last night but winds up to 70-miles-per-hour knocked out power to about 33,000 households around the Interior, including more than 500 in the Delta Junction area that went without electricity for about 15 hours. Hundreds of Delta-area residents were still waiting for power to be restored by mid-afternoon.
‘Amazing’ new Clearwater Lodge rises from ashes of historic structure
he Clearwater Lodge is back in business. Two years after the old structure was burglarized and burned to the ground, owner Kevin Ewing has opened a bigger, fancier lodge in the same scenic spot, on the banks of the Clearwater River near Delta Junction.